The police authorities in Imo have said the report of gunmen attacks in some parts of the state is fake news.
There was palpable fear on Monday that some gunmen were enforcing a sit-at-home, a situation that forced residents of Owerri and other parts of the state to scamper for safety.
But the Imo State Police Command said the report is false, advising residents of the state to be “mindful of mischief makers who raise a false alarm that is unfounded.”
In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Michael Abattam, said the situation could give room for hoodlums to vandalize properties and even endanger human lives.
He said the development is a ploy by detractors of the state to cause pandemonium and destabilise the area.
According to the police spokesman, the commissioner of police has issued a strong warning to any person or group under any guise whose intention is to scuttle the peace being enjoyed by residents of the state.
The police spokesman equally warned that anyone caught will be face the full wrath of the law while urging Imo indigenes to come out en masse and go about their lawful businesses without fear of harassment or molestation from anybody.
Imo State has witnessed a high rate of criminality including killings and kidnappings in the last few months.
Dozens of police officers have been killed in such attacks in the region and public facilities including vehicles and buildings destroyed.
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